10. The Empowering Ministry of the Spirit

The Filling of the Spirit

When Christ ascended, he poured out the Holy Spirit on the church, ushering in a greater experience of God’s presence and power among his people.[1] The Spirit transforms hearts by the miracle of regeneration[2] and indwells all believers in abundant, new covenant measure.[3] The Spirit also desires to fill God’s people continually with increased power for Christian life and witness.[4] To be filled with the Spirit is to be more fully under his influence,[5] more aware of his presence,[6] and more effective in his service.[7] All Christians, therefore, must continually seek to be filled with the Spirit[8] by living and praying in such a way that invites the Spirit’s work among us, actively longing for God to accomplish his gracious purposes in us and through us. The filling of the Spirit brings to God’s people a deeper knowledge of Christ,[9] an increased desire for holiness,[10] a stronger commitment to unity and love, a greater fruitfulness in ministry, and a deeper gratitude for our salvation.[11]

 

 The Gifts of the Spirit

Christ loves the church, his body, and provides for its health and growth through the Holy Spirit.[12] In addition to giving new life, the Spirit sovereignly bestows gifts on every believer.[13] Spiritual gifts are those abilities and expressions of God’s power given by his grace for the glory of Christ and the building up of the church.[14] The variety of these gifts—some permanent and some occasional, some more natural and some more remarkable—reflects[15] the diversity of the members of Christ’s body[16] and demonstrates our need for one another.[17] The gifts are not to be exercised with apprehension, pride, or disorder, but with faith, love, and order,[18] and always in submission to the authority of Scripture as the final revelation of God.[19] With the exception of those among the apostles who were commissioned as eyewitnesses of Christ and made recipients of normative revelation,[20] the full range of spiritual gifts remain at work in the church and are given for the good of the church and its witness to the world. We are therefore to earnestly desire and practice them until Christ returns.[21]


[1] Acts 2:17-18; 2:33; 10:45.

[2] Titus 3:5; John 3:3; 1 Pet 1:3.

[3] Ezek 36:26-27; Acts 2:38-39; 1 Cor 12:12-13. 

[4] Acts 1:8; 4:8; 4:31; 13:9; Eph 5:18. 

[5] Acts 2:42-47; 4:32-33.

[6] Acts 3:19; 7:55; 19:6; Rom 8:15, 23.

[7] Acts 4:8; 6:3.

[8] Eph 5:18.

[9] John 15:26; 16:13-15; Eph 3:16-19; Rom 5:5. 

[10] Rom 8:13; Gal 5:22-23.

[11] Rom 8:15-16; Eph 5:19-20; Col 1:11-14.

[12] John 16:4-15; Eph 4:7-8, 13-16; 5:25-27. 

[13] 1 Cor 12:7, 11.

[14] 1 Cor 12:7; 14:26; Eph 4:12.

[15] Rom 12:6-8; 1 Cor 12:4-11, 28-30; 1 Pet 4:10-11; Eph 4:11-12.  

[16] 1 Cor 12:21-26.

[17] 1 Cor 14:1; 13:1-3; 14:33.  

[18] 1 Cor 13:1-3, 14:1; 14:33.

[19] 1 Thess 5:19-21; 1 Cor 14:29; 2 Tim 3:16; Rev 22:18-19.

[20] Acts 1:20-26; John 14:26; 15:27; 16:13-15; 1 Cor 14:37; Gal 1:11-20; Rev 21:14.

[21] 1 Cor 1:7; 12:31; 13:8-12; 14:1, 12.